The electrofocusing composition of the Large and Small Sub-unit polypeptides of Fraction-1-Protein in rice x wheat and rice x sorghum hybrids

Summary The polypeptide composition of Fraction-1-Protein (F1P) from rice × sorghum, rice × wheat hybrids and their respective parents have been analyzed by a microelectrofocusing method. The large sub-unit (LSU) is composed of three polypeptides and the small sub-unit (SSU) of two polypeptides in rice and sorghum parents and rice × sorghum hybrids. Similarly, LSU is composed of three polypeptides in the rice and wheat parents and rice × wheat hybrids. Two polypeptides occur in the SSU of rice parent and rice × wheat hybrids where as only one polypeptide in the wheat parent. These polypeptides also differ in their isoelectric points. Based on the previous reports of F1P inheritance in hybrids in other crops, F1P analysis of rice × sorghum and rice × wheat hybrids does not seem to be an important marker to identify such intergeneric hybrids. Since this is first such report of F1P inheritance in hybrids between distantly related plants, its implication in different modes of inheritance are discussed.Abbreviations F1P Fraction-1-Protein - IEF Isoelectric focusing - pI Isoelectric points - LSU Large sub-unit - RuBPCase Ribulose 1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase-oxygenase - SSU Small sub-unit     

Screening sorghum genotypes for salinity tolerant biomass production

Genetic improvement of salt tolerance is of high importance due to the extent and the constant increase in salt affected areas. Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] has been considered relatively more salt tolerant than maize and has the potential as a grain and fodder crop for salt affected areas. One hundred sorghum genotypes were screened for salinity tolerance in pots containing Alfisol and initially irrigated with a 250-mM NaCl solution in a randomized block design with three replications. Subsequently 46 selected genotypes were assessed in a second trial to confirm their responses to salinity. Substantial variation in shoot biomass ratio was identified among the genotypes. The performance of genotypes was consistent across experiments. Seven salinity tolerant and ten salinity sensitive genotypes are reported. Relative shoot lengths of seedlings were genetically correlated to the shoot biomass ratios at all stages of sampling though the relationships were not close enough to use the trait as a selection criterion. In general, the whole-plant tolerance to salinity resulted in reduced shoot Na⁺ concentration. The K⁺/Na⁺ and Ca²⁺/Na⁺ ratios were also positively related to tolerance but with a lesser r ². Therefore, it is concluded that genotypic diversity exists for salt tolerance biomass production and that Na⁺ exclusion from the shoot may be a major mechanism involved in that tolerance.     

Tillage, cover crops, and nitrogen fertilization effects on soil nitrogen and cotton and sorghum yields

Sustainable soil and crop management practices that reduce soil erosion and nitrogen (N) leaching, conserve soil organic matter, and optimize cotton and sorghum yields still remain a challenge. We examined the influence of three tillage practices (no-till, strip till and chisel till), four cover crops {legume [hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth)], nonlegume [rye (Secaele cereale L.)], vetch/rye biculture and winter weeds or no cover crop}, and three N fertilization rates (0, 60–65 and 120–130 kg N ha⁻¹) on soil inorganic N content at the 0–30 cm depth and yields and N uptake of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. A field experiment was conducted on Dothan sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic, Plinthic Paleudults) from 1999 to 2002 in Georgia, USA. Nitrogen supplied by cover crops was greater with vetch and vetch/rye biculture than with rye and weeds. Soil inorganic N at the 0–10 and 10–30 cm depths increased with increasing N rate and were greater with vetch than with rye and weeds in April 2000 and 2002. Inorganic N at 0–10 cm was also greater with vetch than with rye in no-till, greater with vetch/rye than with rye and weeds in strip till, and greater with vetch than with rye and weeds in chisel till. In 2000, cotton lint yield and N uptake were greater in no-till with rye or 60 kg N ha⁻¹ than in other treatments, but biomass (stems + leaves) yield and N uptake were greater with vetch and vetch/rye than with rye or weeds, and greater with 60 and 120 than with 0 kg N ha⁻¹. In 2001, sorghum grain yield, biomass yield, and N uptake were greater in strip till and chisel till than in no-till, and greater in vetch and vetch/rye with or without N than in rye and weeds with 0 or 65 kg N ha⁻¹. In 2002, cotton lint yield and N uptake were greater in chisel till, rye and weeds with 0 or 60 kg N ha⁻¹ than in other treatments, but biomass N uptake was greater in vetch/rye with 60 kg N ha⁻¹ than in rye and weeds with 0 or 60 kg N ha⁻¹. Increased N supplied by hairy vetch or 120–130 kg N ha⁻¹ increased soil N availability, sorghum grain yield, cotton and sorghum biomass yields, and N uptake but decreased cotton lint yield and lint N uptake compared with rye, weeds or 0 kg N ha⁻¹. Cotton and sorghum yields and N uptake can be optimized and potentials for soil erosion and N leaching can be reduced by using conservation tillage, such as no-till or strip till, with vetch/rye biculture cover crop and 60–65 kg N ha⁻¹. The results can be applied in regions where cover crops can be grown in the winter to reduce soil erosion and N leaching and where tillage intensity and N fertilization rates can be minimized to reduce the costs of energy requirement for tillage and N fertilization while optimizing crop production.     

Environmental factors influence the expression of resistance to sorghum midge, Stenodiplosis sorghicola

Host plant resistance is an effective means of controlling sorghum midge (Stenodiplosis sorghicola). We studied the influence of environmental factors on expression of resistance to sorghum midge in three midge-resistant and two midge-susceptible genotypes. Midge-resistant lines AF 28, ICSV 197, and TAM 2566 suffered 8.8 to 17.3% damage across seven so wings compared to 25.6%damage in ICSV 112, and 69.4% damage in CSH 5. Susceptibility of the midge-resistant lines (AF 28, ICSV 197, and TAM 2566) decreased with an increase in open pan evaporation, maximum and minimum temperatures, and solar radiation; while the midge-susceptible lines (ICSV 112 and CSH 5) showed a poor interaction with these factors. Midge damage in ICSV 197 showed a negative correlation with minimum temperature and relative humidity and positive correlation with sunshine hours,while the reverse was true for CSH 5. Grain growth rate between 0 and 3 days after anthesis was lower in crops sown on 1st October, when AF 28 and ICSV 197 suffered maximum midge damage. Maximum and minimum temperatures and maximum relative humidity influenced the moisture content of the grain, grain growth rate, and sorghum midge damage. There was considerable variation in genotype × environment interaction for expression of resistance to sorghum midge,and the implications of these results have been discussed in relation to development of sorghum cultivars with resistance to this insect. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

高粱A2型细胞质雄性不育系小孢子发生的细胞学观察和减数分裂染色体行为分析

高粱凡型细胞质雄性不育性（CMS）的细胞质来源于IS12662C，A2细胞质杂交种目前已用于生产。本文以A2／B2 V4为材料，对A2CMS小孢子败育过程作了细胞学观察，并对小孢子败育过程中减数分裂的染色体行为作了分析。研究发现，在A2雄性不育系A2V4的花药发育过程中，绒毡层细胞不形成或提前解体；绒毡层细胞畸形化；绒毡层细胞虽发育正常，但小孢子母细胞减数分裂行为异常；这些都导致小孢子退化。A2细胞质雄性不育花粉母细胞减数分裂行为从后期Ⅰ开始出现异常，同源或姊妹染色体向两极分离时滞后或不分裂；染色体多倍化；一个细胞内出现多核和多核仁现象，最终导致小孢子败育。     

高粱非买罗细胞质A_2、A_3雄性不育系研究

非买罗细胞质A_2、A_3雄性不育系的研究表明:现有A_1系统保持材料对A_2、A_3仍具有保持能力,A_2、A_3系统的保持系对A_1表现为恢复.A_1系统恢复系,不同生态型的材料对A_2恢复能力不同,中国高粱仍具恢复能力,部分印度高粱表现为保持,A_1、A_2的恢复系对A_3均表现为保持.研究认为:A_2扩大了细胞质利用范围,加强“A_2带”的利用,可有效地促进高粱育种的生产.     

Variation of the genomic proportion of the recurrent parent in BC1 and its relation to yield performance in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) breeding for low-input conditions

In order to define the variation of the genomic proportion of the recurrent parent [G(RP)] and its relation to yield, G(RP) of individual BC₁ plants of two sorghum populations composed of a high‐yielding cultivar as recurrent parent (RP) and a donor with superior drought resistance or grain quality, respectively, was estimated using AFLPs and SSRs. G(RP) in BC₁ ranged from 0.53 to 0.95 and averaged to 0.76 in the population (NP4453 × ‘SV‐2’) × ‘SV‐2’. G(RP) varied between 0.60 and 0.86 and averaged to 0.74 in the BC₁ of (ICV‐219 × ‘SV‐2’) × ‘SV‐2’. Results show that plants with a G(RP) equivalent to BC₂ (0.875) or BC₃ (0.938), respectively, can be selected from BC₁. Yield performance of BC₁S₁ families was tested in field trials carried out in South Africa. The correlation between yield and G(RP) in BC₁ was low. Selection according to G(RP) did not result in an effective preselection for yield.     

Stability Analysis of Yield in Maize,Wheat and Sorghum and its Implications in Breeding Programs*

Six stability statistics: (b_i, s²_di, , , and ) were estimated for maize, wheat and sorghum in different environments by using three statistical models. The significant linear portion of genotype × environment interaction for maize indicates different hybrids responded differently to environments, whereas the non-significant genotype × environment interaction (linear) were found for wheat and sorghum suggest that all genotypes responded similarly as the environments change. However, the highly significant pooled deviations (deviation from regression) for all three crops make yield predictions from the model less reliable. When regression coefficients (b_i) were non-significant, s²_di, became an important statistic in estimating stability. It appears that the regression coefficient, b_i, was best used to estimate genotypic adaptability, whereas s²_di, for stability. Maize and sorghum had negative correlations between the mean yield and stability statistics, s²_di, , and , suggesting that high yield and stability are not mutually exclusive in the range of environments used in this study; however, such correlations did not occur in wheat. Thus, maize and sorghum hybrids with high yield potential and high stability could be identified and selected. Correlations between mean yield and b_i, or , were positive and significant for maize and sorghum but were non-significant for wheat, indicating that such relationships may be species specific. Under a given set of testing environments, the stability ranking associated with each maize hybrid is correlated to and depends on other hybrids included in the analysis.     

A genetic study of popping quality in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

Summary Two crosses of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (IS 1054 × ICSV-1, and IS 5604 × IS 1054) were evaluated in parental, F1, F2, and backcross generations for the variation in their popping quality as measured by pop volume (ml). Dominance was in the direction of low pop volume. Dominance and additive gene effects, in that order, governed most of the variation, while significant dominance x dominance type of interaction effects could also be detected. There was no evidence for higher order gene interactions.Approved as Journal Article 630 by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, P.O. 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India.     

Parental influences on gas exchange rates in grain sorghum

Summary Significant genetic variation in CO₂ assimilation rate (A), stomatal conductance (g), and A: g ratio, which are indicators of intrinsic differences in productivity and water use efficiency (WUE), has been demonstrated in grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] hybrids. The primary objective was to determine the possible parental influence on the components of the A: g relationship in sorghum hybrids across a range of water supplies. Thirty F₁ hybrids resulting from a 6 × 6 diallel crossing pattern constituted the genetic material. Field experiments were conducted using four water supply treatments established through differential irrigation. Carbon assimilation rate (A), g, and leaf water potential (_w) of individual leaves were monitored every 15 to 20 days. Genetic analyses revealed that general- and specific-combining ability effects were evident for A. However, reciprocal and maternal effects were more important in governing the A-g and A-_w relationships. Since the maternal effects were the major determinants in causing reciprocal differences, A can be improved by selecting specific female parents to exploit cytoplasmic factors or physiological characteristics of this parent. Substantial genetic variation in the A-g relationship resulting from significant genetic control of A offers the opportunity to impose selection for high A and stability of A, which might directly contribute to whole plant WUE and productivity in grain sorghum.Abbreviations A carbon assimilation rate - g stomatal conductance to water vapor - GCA General Combining Ability - SCA Specific Combining Ability - WUE Water Use Efficiency